Joint Press Release: Vanguard Healthcare secures Management Buy Out from Nuffield Health

Vanguard Healthcare, which operates the UK national fleet of mobile operating theatres, has been acquired by its management from Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest healthcare charity. The original founders of the business have re-joined the management in order to strengthen and support the team.

Vanguard’s unique business provides equipped mobile healthcare facilities with staff to healthcare providers throughout the UK and Ireland. The fleet now includes mobile operating theatres, day surgery units, endoscopy suites, recovery wards and clinics. In November last year, the 100,000th NHS procedure was carried out on board a Vanguard mobile.

Vanguard Healthcare was acquired by Nuffield Health in 2004 and has benefited from significant investment, enabling the fleet to increase to 36 – the largest such fleet in the world.

“The MBO will enable the company to explore additional areas of commercial activity, including international markets,” said Chief Executive Ian Gillespie.

“Our core market will remain our partnership with the NHS where we continue to have a very strong order book.”

David Mobbs, Group Chief Executive, Nuffield Health added “We are proud that in the years that Nuffield Health owned and operated these mobile units, they have offered a clean and safe environment in which thousands of patients have been treated. Whilst our strategy has moved away from supplying this type of facility, we wish Vanguard and its staff every success for the future.”

The team was supported by Robson Taylor Corporate Finance and Osborne Clarke Solicitors. Finance has been provided by MML Capital Partners and HSBC.